Elon Musk, the billionaire entrepreneur, has made headlines once again following a profanity-laden outburst during a live TV appearance at The New York Times’ 2023 DealBook Summit in New York on November 29. Musk, who recently acquired the micro-blogging platform X (formerly known as Twitter), expressed his frustration over advertisers withdrawing from the social media site due to antisemitic posts he had amplified.
Musk had previously endorsed content on the platform that the White House condemned as “antisemitic and racist hate,” for which he later apologized and deleted the tweet. However, when asked by interviewer Andrew Ross Sorkin about the departure of advertisers, Musk responded with explicit language, saying, “If someone is going to try to blackmail me with advertising, blackmail me with money, go fuck yourself …. Go … fuck … yourself. Is that clear? I hope it is.”
During the event, Musk also called out to Disney CEO Bob Iger, who was reportedly in the audience. Disney is among several companies that have pulled their advertising from X. Musk warned that the advertising boycott could potentially destroy the company and vowed to document in detail any such downfall.
A report from The New York Times on November 24 indicated that X might lose up to $75 million in revenue due to over 200 advertisers, including Airbnb, Coca-Cola, and Microsoft, withdrawing their support. Earlier in November, Media Matters reported finding advertisements from major brands like Apple and IBM next to posts promoting Hitler and the Nazi Party on X, leading to a defamation lawsuit by Musk’s platform against Media Matters.
According to a November 25 report by NPR, since Musk’s takeover, the platform has lost 50 of its top 100 advertisers, including prominent brands like Ford, Verizon, Chevrolet, Chipotle, and several pharmaceutical companies such as Merck.
Crypto adviser Aubrey Strobel commented humorously on the situation, noting that CNBC, which aired the interview, did not anticipate Musk’s explicit language and thus violated FCC guidelines, potentially resulting in fines for the network.
Musk continued his candid remarks, expressing disdain for those who prioritize appearances over ethics. Political commentator Collin Rugg praised Musk’s approach, suggesting that his directness made him an ideal owner for Twitter.
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